6 museomag   03 ‘ 2016 
beCome a patron of a koekkoek! 
appeal for donations toWards a publiC subsCription of a major 
national heritage Work: a first in luxembourg! 
© 
éric 
chenal 
(from l. to r.): Launching of the awareness campaign on 
3th 
of May 2016 at the MNHA in presence of i.a. Guy Arendt, Secretary of 
State of Culture, Michel Polfer, director of the Musée national d’histoire et d’art, Florence Reckinger and Jeff Erpelding, chairman 
and vice-chairman of The Friends of Art and History Museums, Luxembourg. 
“Our museum is being offered the opportunity to 
acquire a work whose artistic and historical qualities 
are of great importance for Luxembourg. Called View 
of the Larochette Castle, it was painted in 1848 by one 
of the most famous artists of the time, Barend Cornelis 
Koekkoek (1803-1862). The work was commissioned 
by none less than the King of the Netherlands and 
Grand Duke of Luxembourg, William II (1840-1849), 
the Grand Duke who granted Luxembourgers their 
self-government after the London Treaty of 1839. 
The painting is part of a cycle of great Luxembourgish 
landscapes that Guillaume II commissioned following 
a journey to Luxembourg in 1845, for which he had 
invited the painter. Of the eight paintings that were 
made, only four are presently accounted for. 
Here, then, is a unique opportunity to enrich our 
national collections with a romantic Luxembourgish 
landscape by one of the greatest landscapists of his 
time, a work of exceptional artistic and historical 
value. The investment needed is far too large for 
the museum’s acquisition budget. This is why we 
are launching this fundraising appeal within the 
framework of a crowdfunding campaign. We firmly 
believe that the public will acknowledge the great 
importance of this national challenge and support us 
in our endeavour to acquire the painting. 
The MNHA thanks all future donors in advance!” 
Michel Polfer, director of the MNHA